Devotion to Value

Luis Scott-VargasFriday, October 11, 2013

'm no stranger to casting large Sphinx's Revelations, but I usually do it the old-fashioned way. No ramp, no tricks, just playing ten lands in a row until I can fire off a Rev for seven. While today's deck can do that just like any Rev deck, it's got the potential to do so much more, all thanks to Nykthos.

By utilizing a variety of permanent-based solutions, it is easy to build up a devoted following of white mana symbols. Boros Reckoner contributes three; Precinct Captain, two; and Detention Sphere, Blind Obedience, and Chained to the Rocks pitch in one each. That adds up quickly, and all of the cards listed more than justify themselves. Between Reckoner, Captain, and the one Spear of Heliod, this deck can mount a legitimate offense, and once Heliod himself awakens from his slumber, all bets are off. Heliod, God of the Sun also gives the deck a good outlet for the incredibly large amounts of mana the deck tends to produce, as he throws out Spears and Clerics alike.

Elspeth is another key part of the deck, and she synergizes quite nicely with both Heliod and Nykthos. Besides providing two points of devotion, she complements the beatdown plan by supplying you with an instant army. Conveniently enough, that also makes her a good defensive card, and her -3 ability can clear out problematic cards like Stormbreath Dragon.

Besides Heliod, there are a number of sweet things to do with all the mana this deck can make. Sphinx's Revelation is definitely number one, as a Revelation for five or more is always tough to beat, and this deck can easily hit Revelations for ten+, especially if it plays the second Nykthos thanks to the new legend rule (you can keep the untapped one, letting you double up on activations at the cost of a card). Angel of Serenity is also a powerhouse and isn't seeing much play right now, making it harder to answer. Slamming an Angel stabilizes almost any board, and the three white mana symbols in its cost make Heliod almost guaranteed to be on and Nykthos bump its production by three.

Even if normal Revelation decks aren't to your liking, this is anything but, and it has a ton of cool interactions to prove it.

Luis Scott-Vargas plays, writes, and makes videos about Magic. He has played on the Pro Tour for almost a decade, and between that and producing content for ChannelFireball, often has his hands full (of cards).